


She sits alone

by a_6yearold_inside



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette, Claustrophobia, Drowning, F/M, Gen, Ghosts, Haunted Mansion AU, Lila salt, Only some, Quantic Kids - Freeform, but not really, class salt, eventual felinette, there's a kitty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-04-25 02:33:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22259539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_6yearold_inside/pseuds/a_6yearold_inside
Summary: The class is on a trip to visit the Culpa Mansion, which is famously haunted by the ghost of Felix Culpa, looking for his lost love. Meanwhile, Marinette is seeing relationship problems between her and Adrien, problems that include a certain Lila.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Felix Culpa, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Félix (PV)
Comments: 36
Kudos: 447





	1. She sits alone

Marinette was on the bus to the Culpa Mansion and she was sitting alone.

Normally she would feel hurt, but this was nothing new. She sat alone in class, she sat alone on the plane to the US, she was sitting alone on the bus now. She just felt numb by now. So numb she was barely excited for the mansion.

The Culpa Mansion. Marinette could babble about the history of the Culpa Mansion for hours.

~~~

Once the home of the businessman Garfield Culpa, it was a refuge for injured soldiers. One such person was Abigail Laurens, a nurse who got injured when an explosion hit her base. She critiqued his process and he fell in love.

Years after, their daughter Harriet Culpa met Darrian Poll. They were in third grade. He pulled her hair and she chased him around the playground.

They lost contact after high school and reconnected after college. She was a pro wrestler and he was a librarian. They got married as Harriet and Darrian Culpa. (She insisted on keeping her last name.)

Their son Micheal Culpa married Wenda Delair. They were unable to have children and assumed their bloodline would die with them until they saw a young girl rummaging in their trash can. They instantly adopted Rosemary and began training her in watercolor.

Usually, Marinette would be cut off from talking now and she would recite the rest to herself.

Rosemary never married and opened her home to any starving or homeless artist who couldn’t get on their feet. She passed the Culpa mantle to one of the more present artists, Denise.

Denise never married, though she had plenty lovers. She continued the tradition of housing the starving and homeless but allowed them to be employed in the manor as cooks, maids, gardeners, and security. She eventually gave birth to a son, Felix Culpa.

Felix had nearly every trait of the Culpa family, despite not being blood related to any of them. He was caring and cynical, like Garfield and Abigail. He was physically able and a bookworm like Harriet and Darrian. He was a lover of the arts like Micheal, Wenda, and Rosemary, and he was suspicious of the existence of love like his mother.

He became suspicious no longer when he met Bridgette Chang, the designer child of an author and illustrator pair. She designed all of Denise’s favorite gowns and was commissioned for Felix’s first suit. She struck up a conversation about his favorite novel and they became fast friends.

Soon, they fell in love and they were inseparable until Felix left for college. Even then, they were the only thing on each other’s mind. Felix wrote daily letters to Bridgette and whenever she didn’t read them, she was weeping in the private room Felix gave her.

The minute he returned, he proposed. They were set to be married, if not for one tiny detail.

Delila Ross.

She was a fellow member of Felix’s college and was obsessed with him. She almost got her hooks into him when she used a love spell. Luckily, Felix knew some witchcraft of his own and was able to fight it off. She disappeared soon after.

However, the day of the wedding, she returned to kill Bridgette. Felix warned all of the staff against her and threatened them with extreme punishment. She came in and, assisted by the staff, stabbed Bridgette through the heart with her favorite flower pin.

Theorists say Felix went insane, but Marinette didn’t believe that part. He allegedly killed every member of the staff that allowed Delila to enter the mansion and soon he died himself. Legend has it that he roams the halls of the mansion, now a hotel, in search of the reincarnated soul of his loved one and when he found her, he would have the power to return from the dead and be with her until the end of his days.

~~~

Before she met Adrien, Marinette had fantasied about being the reincarnation of Bridgette, after all, Chang and Cheng were very similar. However, now she had met Adrien and was dating him.

Speaking of, Marinette checked her phone. Sure enough, there was a text from her boyfriend.

**Sunshine 😍: Hey sorry bout not sitting w/ u 😰**

**Sunshine 😍: It would have seemed rude if I turned lila down**

**Princess 💞: It’s fine! I totally get it.**

No, she didn’t get it! She was Adrien’s girlfriend and he still managed to make Lila a priority over her. And not just Lila either, Marinette knew Adrien thought she didn’t notice the stars in his eyes whenever Ladybug was mentioned. How touchy he would get with other models during a shoot.

Marinette growled and pulled out the vest she was embroidering. Half was black with small white snowflakes and the other half was pink with little flowers. It was based off of Felix and Bridgette’s favorite seasons; spring and winter. She had already made a strictly Felix themed outfit for the trip and a Bridgette themed outfit, she wanted to make one based off of the relationship the two had.

After finishing, she took a nap, dreams of swirling snowflakes and a blue eyed cat approaching her filling her mind. She woke up with Adrien sitting next to her, tapping her shoulder.

“Hey, Princess. We’re here.”

She bolted up and pressed her face to the window. “What? I missed it? But I heard such great things about the gardens…”

He laughed and pressed a kiss to her temple. “We’ll find some time to check them out, promise.”

“‘Kay.” She hummed and leaned forward for a proper kiss, before another popped up.

“Hey, Adrien?” Lila. “You mind helping us out back here? We’re stuck on a level of Super Penguino, and I, as an award winning player, need a partner. Would you want to help me out?” She bat her eyes innocently and Marinette felt the all too familiar sense of rage well up inside her.

_No, don’t do that again, _she reminded herself._ You don’t need this, Adrien loves you and he doesn’t want you to get in trouble._

“Sure, Lila! I’m sure Marinette won’t mind.” He pressed another kiss to her temple and went back to Lila’s seat.

Marinette sighed and stared out the window as they finally approached the mansion.

* * *

There was a bit of concern over rooming, there was an odd number of students and the teacher surely couldn’t room with anyone. They talked about three in a room, but Lila said she read a study that claimed that three in a room was harmful to sleeping patterns.

“Alya! Want to room with me?”

Alya gave Marinette a sympathetic smile. “Sorry, girl. I told Lila I’d room with her.”

“Oh, alright.” That meant she’d be rooming by herself then. “Have fun.” She sat on the bench again, alone.

She heard a giggle from across the room. “Yeah, I’m definitely the distant relative of Bridgette. Who knows? Maybe I’m his soulmate and Felix will come back from the dead for me.”

“He’s supposed to come back for the reincarnated soul.” Marinette muttered. “Not the relative.”

“You know that?” A red headed boy in a cap approached her. “No one knows that, Grace and I usually have to tell them a million times. Grace!” He shouted over his shoulder. “Grace! Come over here! This chick knows the Culpa story!”

“Wait, really?” A girl with a two long braids walked over from the reception desk. “No one knows the Culpa story.”

“My parents told me some when I was little, I did some research.”

“Well, the fact that you know it makes you a celebrity to us. I’m Grace, this is Finny. What’s your name, celebrity?”

She grinned. “I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I’m with the school trip from Paris.”

Finny gasped. “You mean you’re, the Marinette Dupain-Cheng? The same Marinette Dupain-Cheng who designed Jagged Stone’s favorite sunglasses, and his album cover?!?!”

“Fin’s a bit of a music nerd.” Grace snorted.

Fin, meanwhile, was patting his pockets down for a pen. “I don’t have a pen! Grace! Can you give me a pen?”

“No, ask her for he autograph later, dork. It’s the middle of the night, she probably wants to get back to her room.”

“Oh, right, sorry.” He rubbed the back of his head. “But I am totally asking for one later.”

Marinette winked. “That’s fine with me.”

“Where are you staying, anyway?”

“Umm, I actually don’t know. There was a room problem.”

“I can handle that.” Grace winked and Marinette noticed her eyes were a beautiful silver. “I’ve got some pull.” She sashayed over to the desk and started scribbling on a piece of paper. Apparently satisfied, she picked up a key and tossed it to Marinette. “Here. It’s the key to Bridgette’s room. A huge honor. Not something we take lightly around here.”

“Thank you! It’s not something I take lightly either.” Then, seeing her class was leaving, she lifted her bag and followed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, I hope!”

“We hope so too!” Finny yelled after her.

* * *

Marinette hummed to herself as she began unpacking, planning her outfits for each day.

Her Felix themed set for museum day.

Her Bridgette themed set for the art museums.

Her Felix and Bridgette themed one for tour day.

And her ghost themed ones for all the other days.

Satisfied, she turned around and admired the room. It was exactly what she would have wanted. Pink everywhere, a beautiful white lace canopy over the bed, flowers all over the balcony and above the bed there was a portrait of Felix and Bridgette mid-proposal, Felix on one knee.

Marinette snapped a picture of it._ Perfect for inspiration._

She texted Adrien a quick goodnight and went to sleep, soon to be struck with the same dreams of the blue eyed cat and the swirling snowflakes.

* * *

Meanwhile, a sleek black fox and an orange bee held a meeting in the basement.

_You think he knows yet? _The bee asked_._

_I don’t know, Fin. He will once he makes his rounds._

_She has to be her. Gracie, her life directly parallels with Bridgette’s. All the way down to the company she keeps._

_Speaking of, we need to get everyone locked down and in their punishments for the night before Felix starts his rounds._

_Before you do, _a white and turquoise turtle crawled into view_, we need to have a conversation about the other her._

_What about her? _Grace asked innocently_._

_What will we do about the ghosts? If they see her…_

_They’ll go insane._

_Maybe they won’t, _Finny suggested_, they might just ignore her._

_Unlikely. They’re more likely to torment her, which will end on the mansion being quarantined._

_They won’t do anything without Felix’s permission, Allegra. _Grace rolled her eyes._ Which he won’t give until he has his bride._

_But, it wouldn’t hurt if we let them scare her a little…_ Finny landed on Grace’s head._ Would it?_

Allegra and Grace smirked, well, as much as a fox and turtle could smirk.

_Probably not…_ Allegra mused.

_I’ll spread the word when I lock up my section. See ya, Allegra._

As the bee and the fox climbed out of the basement, unnoticed in the empty halls, thunder cracked and a red headed boy, paired with a raven haired girl strolled the mansion, unaffected by the ghoulish shrieks of horror that followed them.


	2. She eats alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette meets Allegra during a lonely breakfast and Grace has a flashback.

Marinette yawned as she woke up, light cascading through the curtains to land on her soft silk sheets. She hadn’t had that good of a night’s sleep since… ever.

It was just an acclimation day, so Marinette gingerly lifted one of her ghost outfits. Based off of Anya Cesar, the journalist best friend of Bridgette.

She was notorious for not checking her sources in her writing, so Bridgette suggested that she get into realistic fiction.

She was said to have drowned soon after Bridgette’s death, so Marinette gave it a colder color scheme, dispite Anya’s love for oranges and reds.

She put on simple fishnet stockings made of a rope-looking yarn, and running shoes, because Anya was known for rushing all over for a story.

She had on a knee length blue skirt that rippled like waves when she walked. Her pale blue shirt was collared, another thing Anya loved. She had on a coral colored shell necklace and fake glasses perched on top of her head; Anya read so much that she soon became nearsighted.

She pulled the charger out of her phone and texted Adrien.

**Princess 💞: You up yet?**

**Sunshine 😍: Yep, I’m at the dining hall for breakfast. Don’t worry, the croissants aren’t nearly as good as your parents ♥️♥️**

Marinette bounded down the stairs, skidding into the dining hall, only to see Adrien sitting next to Lila, surrounded by their friends.

“Ad-“ But she faded off, knowing he wouldn’t hear her, surrounded in all that chatter.

She glanced at the table full of breakfast foods and grabbed a plate. She took a few pieces of bacon and dropped them on the plate, relishing in the soft clink of the contact.

Then she turned to the pastries.

She picked up a croissant with the silver tongs and examined it, turning it from side to side. She sniffed it and dropped it on her plate.

“Let me guess, bakers daughter?”

Marinette looked up to see a blonde haired girl in an apron smiling at her. “Yes. How did you…”

“You didn’t even give the bacon a second glance but you spent a full five minutes on my pastries.”

Marinette giggled. “Guilty.”

The girl gave her an odd glance before holding out her hand. “Name’s Allegra. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Marinette, it’s nice to meet you too.”

Allegra’s mouth curved down just slightly, and she gripped Marinette’s hand just a little tighter.

“Do you want to see the kitchen?” She offered. “I usually don’t let people in there as it ‘my sacred place’. But you seem to be a… special circumstance.” She glanced at the crowd of students ignoring them.

Marinette watched her eyes and gave her a (hopefully) reassuring smile. “It’s fine, I’m used to it by now. Besides, they always come back whenever they need a little help.”

Allegra’s eyes burned into her soul. “That’s not always a good thing, hon.” But the smile soon returned. “But, enough chit chat, I want to show you the industrial ovens.”

And with that, Marinette was whisked off to the kitchens.

* * *

Grace barged into the kitchen, the door bumping against the fridge. “Allegra, we’re out of eggs!”

The blonde looked down from where she was standing. “Oh, hey Grace! How’s it hanging?”

“Wha- what are you doing?” Grace stared at the ceiling where dripping strips of plastic hung from yarn.

“Well, Mari over here,” She nodded at the bluenette sitting on the counter, intently fiddling with a concealed something in her palms, “saw the mountains of plastic wrapping from the bacon and stuff, and she demanded that we wash ‘em and cut them in strips. So who was I to tell her she couldn’t?”

Marinette looked up, a giant grin on her face. She revealed the creation in her hand to be a woven rope. She slipped from the counter and tied the rope loosely around Allegra’s neck. A necklace.

“I have one for you too!” She said, turning to Grace.

She held out another long woven rope and rubbed her neck awkwardly. “It’s a headband. I know we don’t know each other that well yet, but I thought you would like it.”

Grace was pushed back in time by the shear familiarity of it all. To a time where they were all younger, the kitchen was smaller, and the girl in front of her had longer and more jagged pigtails.

~~~

The day she had met Bridgette, she was stressed. She had run into the kitchen, hoping for some peace and quiet.

There she had run into Allegra, who was baking cinnamon rolls while another girl perched on the stool chattered about ‘finding the right model.’

It was then that the girl saw Grace, and she had stared at her, silent, for what seemed like hours. She sprung from her seat and tackled Grace in a hug, looking down at her and asking the question that would change Grace’s world.

“Hi! I’m Bridgette, I’m a little new here and I don’t know you all that much, but you have this look that would be perfect for my newest designs. Would you want to be my model?”

“…sure.”

“Yesss!” She stepped off of Grace and offered her a helping hand. “Don’t think this means you won’t become my friend, though.”

“I’m sure we’ll be great friends.” Looking into those eyes, Grace was certain Bridgette would turn out to be something special.

~~~

“It’s okay if you don’t want it.” Marinette rushed her words from her mouth. “I just thought I’d offer.”

“No, no!” Grace snagged the headband from her, tying it around her head. “I love it.”

“Great!” She looked down, almost shy. “And, I was wondering… if you’d like to be my friend as well?”

“Say yes, Grace!” Allegra yelled from the freezer. “I already did and Finny’s definitely gonna!”

“Of course I’ll be your friend.”

Marinette squealed and hugged her, bouncing just a little. “Here, I’ll give you my number, so we can keep in touch when the trip’s over or when I can’t find you.”

“Thanks.” Grace pocketed the slip of paper and made a mental note to get her hands on a phone at some point.

“I don’t have my phone on me right now, but I’ll text you when I can.” “Great!” She glanced down at her phone and gave an apologetic wince. “Sorry, my other friends are texting, we’re going to look at the nearby parks.”

“That’s fine.” Grace rifled through her bag and pulled out a small map. “Here; in green, there are some really good ones and the little maps on some mean that you could geocach there if you’re into that.”

Allegra snorted. “Careful, G. Your inner tour guide is showing.”

“I can’t help it, I just want everyone to have an amazing time when they visit.”

“Well, I really appreciate it. I’m sure my friends will love it.”

“If they even give you the time to speak.” Allegra grumbled.

“Hey…” Marinette pointed a stern finger. “No.”

Allegra rolled her eyes but kept her mouth shut anyway.

“Thank you.” She waved and swept out the door.

When she was gone, Allegra turned to Grace.

“So, we’re sure it’s her?”

She nodded. “Definitely. I had a flashback.”

Allegra blinked. “That means we have less time than we thought. He’ll be back soon.”

“Yeah, she needs to be ready.”

“Yeah…” Allegra quieted and fingered the necklace she had been gifted not too long ago.

“Legra? Everything okay? I’m sure Felix will be glad you’re getting Marinette used to us.” Grace probed, taking a guess at Allegra’s dimmed mood.

“That’s not why I did it.” Allegra whispered.

“Then why?”

She looked back at her and Grace could see the sad sparkle collecting in her eyes. “Bridgette never liked eating alone.”


	3. She hikes alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to the park doesn’t go as planned and Marinette finds herself enjoying a peaceful walk on a cloudy day. Maybe not quite alone, though...

Marinette skipped to her friends, tapping Adrien on the shoulder before hugging him tight.

“Hey, Princess,” he gave her a smile that melted her heart, “we were just talking about things we could do on our free day.”

He gestured to the class, who were all deep in a debate over ice cream place or pizza parlor.

“I was thinking we could go to a park; a new friend of mine has a couple of places we could check out. I think it would be really good as a lazy activity to get rid of jet lag, or in Kim’s case, excess energy.”

“Sounds really nice!” He smiled and began to open his mouth to tell them; he had become Marinette’s representative to the class, when Lila stood up.

“Hey guys! What if, since today doesn’t have anything planned, we went to a park and hung out?”

“That’s a genius idea, Lila!”

“I could play frisbee!”

“I’d enjoy observing the local flora.”

_That’s genius Lila. You’re so smart._ Marinette growled under her breath, Lila obviously overheard her talking with Adrien and took credit for her idea.

“I actually know some parks we could go to, from when I visited with Jagged Stone a few months back. We could go to one of those, if you want?”

“That sounds great Lila!” Adrien cut in before Marinette could protest. “Let’s go now!”

“Don’t worry,” he whispered to her as the class cheered and stood up, “I’ll make sure we go to a nice park.”

_ That’s not what I’m worried about _ _._ Marinette thought as she watched Lila attach herself to Adrien’s arm.

She followed at a fair distance from the class; not by choice, her friends just seemed to speed up whenever she tried to walk near them.

“Marinette!” Grace tapped on her shoulder, a broad grin on her face. She was wearing the headband. “Where did you decide on going?”

“A park.”

“That’s great! Which one are you going to? Because if you haven’t decided, I have a ton of great places for you to go...” she plucked some pamphlets from her back pocket and displayed one. “I think this one would suit your needs best.”

“Thanks, Grace, but...” Marinette spared a glance at the pack of students, led by Lila and Adrien. “I think it’s already been decided.”

Grace’s expression soured. “Okay, but keep ahold of that pamphlet, will you? You might end up finding time to go.”

“I hope I do.” She waved Grace a quick goodbye and dashed back to her friends, who were already going through the door. 

* * *

They hopped on a bus and Marinette smirked as Lila worried her lip, eyes darting towards every sign that could possibly lead her to a park.

As fun as that was, Marinette quickly got bored and began perusing the pamphlet Grace handed to her.

** Quarry Stone Park **

** Known for its towering pillars of black stone, it is rumored that Quarry Stone Park was where the brick for the famed Culpa Manor was mined.  **

** While the parks naming is rather obvious, it also contains many hidden paths, leading to waterfalls, gem-filled caves, and even the ocean.  **

** A popular landmark of the park is Quarry Ledge, which overlooks the ocean. The natural black spires and stark white sands make for an amazing view. **

_ That’s where we should be going,  _ Marinette mused, _ not wherever Lila’s going to take us. _

“Here we are!” Lila sang. “The best park in the  _ whole _ town.”

_Sure..._ Marinette glanced at the rotting wooden sign, the crumbling letters reading,  ** Wooded Glade Park ** .

The class ran in, Alix already tossing a frisbee for Kim to catch. Adrien fell back and greeted Marinette with a silent smile and had just grabbed her hand when everyone fell silent and stared at the open field surrounded by borderline rotting trees.

“Uhh, Lila?” Ivan asked, shielding Mylene’s eyes from the mistreated plants. “Are you sure this is he place? It looks a little run down.”

“Definitely!” Lila protested, and though her back was facing Marinette, she could almost see the false tears welling up in her eyes. “I- I don’t know what happened; it used to be so beautiful... I’m so sorry everyone.”

“What if we helped you clean it up?” Rose offered. “Got rid of any trash and planted some flowers!”

“Yeah!” The class cheered, voicing their agreement.

“You- you would all do that for me?” 

“Of course!”

“I can’t believe this! I... thank you!”

Mylene pulled Ivan’s hand from her eyes and glared at the offending trees. “Babe? I need a lift.”

Ivan picked her up and placed her onto his shoulders.

“Alright everybody!” She shouted, voice abnormally loud. “I need someone to carry heavy stuff, a couple people for trash and, Marinette! Can you organize our efforts?”

She smiled and was about to pull out her notebook, when Lila opened her mouth, which had proven to be a tragedy in itself.

“I don’t know guys, remember how late Marinette came in? She didn’t even get to have breakfast, we don’t want to tire her out what with the jet lag and all. I can just organize, you know I was an organizer to a famous charity.”

“That’s a great idea, Lila! I’ll help!” Adrien leaned over to whisper in Marinette’s ear. “Don’t worry, I can keep her out of trouble while you just relax and walk down one of the trails, it’s a win-win.”

_ But I want to walk the trails with you... _

She smiled, gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked to the closest trail as fast as she could so Adrien couldn’t see the tears collecting in her eyes.

She loved how selfless Adrien was, she did. It was just... he never seemed to choose her.

She stood there for a moment and allowed herself to cry. This was supposed to be a fun trip where she could hang out with her boyfriend and friends as they all explored her favorite place in the world. 

Marinette finally looked up and observed the signs marking the different paths she could take. 

** Daisy Walkway. **

** Riverside. **

** Quarry Stone Path. **

Quarry Stone?

Marinette pulled out her pamphlet and compared the names.

_ Maybe I will get to see Quarry Stone afterall. _

* * *

It was a fair hike to Quarry Stone, but it was so worth it. 

The trees were lush and green, every bench and table were in perfect condition, people were everywhere, and interspersed across the field were dozens of giant black pillars of rock.

Marinette gave a glance to the other trails.

Waterfalls, meadows, beachside.... there were so many choices.

“Excuse me, sir?” She touched the arm of a nearby elderly man, who was exiting one of the trails. “I was wondering, do you know these trails well? Could you maybe recommend one to me?”

“Never been to Quarry Stone, have you dear?” He gave her a friendly smile.

“No.”

“Well, when I was young and adventurous, I would go on the Nymph’s River path. On a sunny day like this, it’s sure to be a magical sight.”

“It’s cloudy, you old coot!”

A frail old woman in a worn pink dress stumbled from the same path. 

“What?” The man put on a thick pair of spectacles and squinted at the sky. “So it is.”

“I’m Henry’s wife, Meredith, and what’s your name, sweetie?”

“I’m Marinette. It’s nice to meet you.” She grinned at the familiar banter that reminded her of her parents. 

“Likewise, dear.” A bony hand grasped her own. “Now, what’s a little thing like you doing out here all alone?”

“Um, my class, we’re here on a field trip and we had… a disagreement on what to do.”

“Ah, and they let you do your thing but it’s not as fun alone, is it?”

“No, not really.”

“I’ve got just the place for you dear. Henry, what about...” she leaned in to whisper in his ear. 

“You’re a genius, Mere. Kiddo, just go down that path,” he pointed her to the forest, “and I promise it will be a sight worth seeing.” 

“Okay, thank you both so much!” She waved to the couple as she headed down the path, memorizing their faces in case they encounter one another again.

* * *

It truly was a sight worth seeing, as promised. 

When Marinette finally broke out of the dark greens in the surrounding the trail, she was met by the most soothing sight she’d ever laid eyes on. 

She was standing on a large ledge carved out of the hill; metal posts and railings were surrounding the platform. Nothing noteworthy.

But the sight it was there to show was unimaginably perfect. The sand was a pure white, which would have been blinding if it wasn’t for the clouds covering the sun. The stone spires that decorated the entire forest were dotting the beach in all their splendor, rising proudly and casting barely noticeable shadows across the sand and the pale, rolling waves.

She leaned on the railing; taking in the soothing spectacle. It was almost like she was falling asleep, her consciousness drifting until she had no other thought but the muted colors in front of her...

“Meow?”

Marinette screamed and leapt away from the sound, pushing her back against the railing and gripping it with both hands likes she was on a crashing elevator. 

A black cat with startling blue eyes stared at her, tilting its head in a quizzical motion.

“Mrrrrrr.” Was its only reaction to her panic.

“He- hello?” 

It stared at her waved hand, like it was the most interesting thing it had seen. 

She held it out tentatively, in an open gesture, leaving enough space for it to leave. 

It stared at it for a moment longer before tentatively leaning forwards to place its head in her palm. It purred as she scritched its chin.

“What’s your name, kitty?” She mused. “Garfield? Like the Culpa that started the mansion?” 

It leaned its head into her pinky in a silent gesture to go on.

“Harriet? Darrian? Abigail?” 

No cigar. 

“What about Culpa?”

The cat purred and nuzzled her hand with a vigor.

“Culpa it is.” She brought her other hand to pet at the newly-christened Culpa’s ear.

Culpa mewled with a satisfaction that seemed... almost human on the face of the pitch cat.


	4. She's not here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After getting ice cream, the class realizes that Marinette is missing. It's okay because Lila and Adrien are on the case! Or will be... eventually... Meanwhile, Nino and Alya have a race that ends with Alya having an odd encounter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick warning: there are mentions of drowning, panic attacks, and allergic reactions, but it's especially brief

They were all on the bus, heading back to the hotel for dinner and rest. 

It was hard work, fixing up a park, but the class did it well. By the end of the day, it was beautiful, all traces of trash had disappeared and they had even managed to give some benches a new coat of paint. 

Lila beamed and clapped as it was over, promising everyone a scoop of ice cream, as was tradition when she finished a big project. However, when they found a place that was selling ice cream, she realized she left her wallet in her room. 

Apologizing profusely, she swore that she’d get them a treat some other time. 

“This has never happened before; I’m so sorry everyone!”

Alya patted her shoulder. “It’s okay, girl. You already helped so much to heal that park; let us do something for you.”

“At least let me order for all of you.”

“If you want, girl, sure.”

“Okay, I’m usually really good at guessing people’s favorite ice cream flavors once I get to know them, so I should be good for most of you, but since Marinette and I haven’t been on such good terms lately, I’ll probably need to ask her. Where is she?” 

“I dunno. Mari!” Alya called into the meager crowd of students. “Come on out, hun, we need to know your pick for ice cream!”

Adrien piped up from the back, where he was chatting with Rose. “I don’t think she’s here. She must not have come back from her walk.”

Alya felt her heart race with concern. “Lila, I know you want us to have ice cream, but there’s no way we can just leave Marinette in the forest.”

“Of course not, Alya.” She placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll go look for her after I place our orders. I know these woods better than anybody; I’ll have her back in a jiff.”

“Okay, thanks Lila.” She let out a breath, leaning against Nino.

True to her word, Lila left soon after ordering for everyone, heading down the sidewalk to look for Marinette. Sure, she seemed to be going the wrong way, but it was probably a shortcut she forgot to mention.

* * *

The walk back to the hotel was lovely, with Alya and Adrien arguing over which picture of Ladybug should be the new header for her blog and Nino holding her hand the whole way. 

It was only when she got back to the hotel and saw Lila lounging beside a cute boy, did she remember that her BFF was missing.

“Lila! Did you find her?” 

Adrien jolted, mid-sentence and looked up at Lila with hopeful eyes. It seemed that he forgot about Marinette too. 

Lila sat still for a moment, before a look of remorse crossed her face. 

“I’m so sorry, Alya. I couldn’t find her. I scoured every path, but nothing.” 

“I should probably check.” Adrien raised his hand. “After all, I’m her boyfriend.”

“That’s a great idea.” Lila stood and walked to clasp Adrien’s arm. “I’ll come too, so we don’t get lost like Marinette.” 

An odd look crossed Adrien’s face, but he nodded nevertheless. They began walking to the exit.

“Ah!” Lila flinched, clutching her leg. “My leg! I must have sprained it while looking for Marinette.”

“Oh!” Alya rushed to Lila’s other side, helping Adrien hold her up. “Let’s get you to our room, maybe get some ice for that leg.”

“No, I know you and Nino probably wanted to spend some time together. Adrien can take me. After all, what are all of those fencing lessons for?” She nudged him with a teasing grin, which he shakily returned. Poor guy, probably so worried about Marinette. 

“Okay, make sure you call me if you need anything.” She grabbed both of her shoulders. “_Anything_.”

“Of course.” She smiled and patted her arm before tugging Adrien to the stairs.

Alya turned to Nino with a beam. “Soo, wanna hang out?”

He rolled his eyes, slipping his headphones back around his neck. “Of course, it’s not like we’ve talked about it since we found out about the trip.” 

She leaned into his side, pressing a kiss on his jaw. “I’ve looked up a map, and I’m ready to show you _all_ the sights.”

“Hi!” An unfamiliar voice surprised them; it was chirpy like Rose, but not quite as high. They turned in unison and saw a willowy girl with a long ponytail trailing down her back. An odd headband was woven into the deep purple locks.

“Sorry to eavesdrop, but I heard you two were looking for a place to hang out? Might I suggest…” her eyes landed on Alya’s face before brightening up again. “The aquarium? In the evening like this, the lights turn on and everything seems to glow an incredible blue.”

“Really?” She glanced at Nino with a grin. “That sounds like an incredible thing to put on my blog! Come on, Nino, let’s go!”

“Okay.” He chuckled and allowed himself to be pulled down a random hallway. 

“Just take a right, then a left. It should be two doors down!”

They both giggled like kindergartners as they ran down the halls. Nino stopped and cocked a brow when she continued pulling him past the door the girl mentioned. 

“Let’s play a game.” She whispered. “We both get lost and try to meet back here. Video chat so we know we don’t cheat.” 

He pulled out his phone and called her in response. 

Once they had gotten thoroughly lost, Alya set a timer and began dashing back to the aquarium. 

It took her three minutes. (she _may_ have cheated a little bit, but it wasn’t her fault! Nino is really cute when he gets winded from running!) She stumbled into the room, listening to Nino complain about how much she was making him run. 

It was incredible. The latent orange from the sunset and the blues from the aquarium blended in a perfect contrast that she almost dropped her phone. 

_ “Whereisshe...” _

“You say something babe?” She glanced down at her phone. It was blank; no service. 

Oh well, Nino would tell her what he said when he got here. Meanwhile, she raised her camera app to capture the stunning sight before her. 

_ “She’snothere...”  _

A flicker at the corner of her screen. She lowered her phone, but nothing was there. It was slipped into her pocket as she turned to the larger aquarium. The fish seemed to be missing, except for one bright orange angel fish. 

_ “She’snothere...”  _

The fish swam in hypnotizing figure eights. Alya stared at it, entranced. It felt like with every figure eight, the fish was stealing a little bit of breath from her.

_ “She’snothere.” _

The fish moved faster and faster, until the swift motions combined with her shortness of breath made it look almost like it was forming a circle. 

_ “She’snothere.” _

No, not a circle.... a face. A face with thick rimmed glasses and a mole just above her eye. A face that looked like hers, but not.

_ “She’snothere. She’snothere. She’s. Not. HERE.”  _

A body erupted from the water, and Alya flinched from the waved, but they didn’t even spray her with a mist. Almost like they weren’t there. 

A girl stood before her, hair in knots, staring at Alya. She was in a fancy blue dress that looked like it should be poofy, if not for the water dripping from the hem. 

Alya stood stock-still, chest heaving. “Who are you?”

_“Where is she?”_ A voice hissed from nowhere.

The girl looked at her with hollow eyes._ “She’s not here.” _

“Who are you walking about? What was that voice?” 

The figure jolted, like a glitching video. Suddenly, her hair was neat and styled. Her dress was dry and fanned out around her. 

“Are you okay? What’s going on?”

_“Where is she?”_ The bodiless voice asked again, this time in a tone so sickly sweet, Alya felt like retching. 

Her mirror image grinned at the ceiling, walking closer to the empty aquarium. She put her hand on it, like she was about to push open a door. 

_ “She’s right here.”  _

Spectral waves rushed from the glass, assaulting and surrounding Alya. Her breaths became more and more shallow, it felt like her throat was closing up. 

Like she was drowning.

* * *

When Nino came in, panting and just barely biting his tongue from cussing, Alya was curled in a ball on the floor, wheezing. 

“Als!” He fell to his knees beside her, taking in her vitals like he learned in the akuma relief seminar. “You okay? It looks like you had either an allergic reaction or a panic attack. What was in that ice cream you ate?”

“Don’t...know... Lila ordered.” She gripped his hand tightly and pulled herself up, pulling out her phone and dialing Lila’s number. 

“**Alya!**” She could hear the smile in her voice. “**Adrien, come on over, it’s Alya.**”

“**Hey Alya.**”

“What... was in the ice cream?”

“**The ice cream I ordered? I can’t remember... hazelnuts, I think?**”

She glanced at Nino with wide eyes. She was allergic to hazelnuts. Not enough to do anything serious, but enough that she had a little trouble breathing afterwards. That must also explain that weird stuff she saw too; oxygen deprivation.

Nino grabbed her arm, fully intent on taking her to her room to recuperate for the rest of the night. She allowed him to, still a little shaken. 

* * *

A sleek fox sat in front of a broken-eyed ghost._ So?_

“She’s not here.” Anya replied, glaring at the ceiling. She looked back down, her defiant eyes turning sad. “She’s not here.”

_ Not true. She’s here, and she’s safe and sound in her room.  _

Her broken eyes lit up and she floated purposefully towards the best room in the home. 

_ Not yet you don’t! _ Finny hovered in front of the ghost.  _ She’s sleeping and you won’t bother her! _

The ghost nodded forlornly and dissipated.

_ That settles it, doesn’t it?  _ Grace asked once the ghost was gone.

_ Yep,  _ Allegra moved forwards. _ These students are helping them pass on. Once they impart their knowledge, and scare them straight, they get their free will back, to haunt or help who they choose.  _

_ It’s weird though, isn’t it? _ Finny mused. _ How just one word could have changed everything? If Anny had just lied to her, none of this will be happening. _

_ But she didn’t.  _ Allegra reminded him softly _ . None of them did, and this is the price they pay.  _

_ Yeah...  _ Finny flew low. _ Hey Allegra?  _

_ Yeah, Fin?  _

_ She’s here. _ Giddiness oozed from his voice. 

_ Yeah, _ Allegra stared at the hallway leading to the girl that gave their lives purpose again, _ she is. _

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on miraculous-of-salt’s haunted mansion au.


End file.
